Archive: May 2013

The Army G-4, in collaboration with the Army Materiel Command, recently released pamphlet entitled "Shaping the U.S. Army's Organic Industrial Base in Wartime and Peacetime." This pamphlet points out the work our Government-owned Depots and Arsenals have done over the past 10 years and it outlines our new 10-year strategic plan to transition from wartime to peacetime operations.

The 911th Technical Rescue Engineering Company changed leadership during a ceremony May 23 at Davison Army Airfield.
Capt. Michael Riccitiello III assumed command of the 911th from Capt. Langston J. Turner.

Army G-4 Logistics, in collaboration with U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), today released "Shaping the U.S. Army's Industrial Base in Wartime and Peacetime" a pamphlet outlining how the government-owned Depots and Arsenals will transition in the next 10 years.

Sardis, Miss… The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District (Corps), the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks and First Security Bank of Batesville, Mississippi are partnering to host the 25th annual Sardis Lake Youth Fishing Rodeo. It will be held 1 June 2013 at the Cypress Point Recreation Area. Registration will begin at 7:00 a.m. with the rodeo starting at 7:30 a.m.

Vicksburg, Miss -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center forecasts a "busy" hurricane season for 2013. NOAA states that higher than normal water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa will see an increase in the number and severity of hurricanes this season. Hurricane season begins 1 June and ends 30 November with the peak threat period starting in mid-August and going through October.

FORT McCOY, Wis. -- Dancers from Aloha Chicago took the audience at Fort McCoy's observance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on a dance and musical tour of the Polynesian islands of Hawaii, Tahiti, and New Zealand. Keynote speaker Chris Tuia'ana of Aloha Chicago provided a musical background for the dancers. The event was sponsored by the Fort McCoy Equal Opportunity Office. For more information about upcoming ethnic events in the Fort McCoy community, call 608-388-3246.

FORT MCCOY, Wis. -- Problems in relationships don't occur because people are different, but rather when partners don't recognize and appreciate those differences, said Dan Benavides during the seminar "'Did You Hear What I Meant?' The Gender Difference," held at Fort McCoy May 2.
As part of Military Spouse Appreciation, the Army Community Service (ACS) program invited Benavides, a licensed clinical social worker, to Fort McCoy to discuss the differences between males and females and how, despite those differences, they still have strong similarities.
Both men and women have a desire to be in a relationship, to be independent and unique individuals, to be heard and understood, and to please the people they care about, Benavides said.

FORT MCCOY, Wis. -- Army Reserve Military Police (MP) law-and-order officers provided support to the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) Police Department and received valuable training at the installation in May.
The 438th MP Detachment of Salt Lake City also provided support to the Warrior Exercise during its two-week annual training period at Fort McCoy, said Lt. Col. Michael Porter, 438th Provost Marshal.

The Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate conducted a rigorous operational test recently on the new Military Free Fall Advanced Ram-Air Parachute System, a non-developmental item that is about to replace the nearly 20-year-old MC-4 parachute system for all service branches, according to the test officer.

The sergeant major of the Army joined veterans of every conflict since World War II for a solemn Memorial Day ceremony at the Georgetown-Williamson County, Texas, Veterans Memorial Plaza, May 27, 2013.

KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Soldiers from the Security Force Advise and Assist Team 11, along with the assistance of Soldiers from Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, met with Afghan National Army Soldiers at one of their combat ouposts outside of Shur Kalay, Afghanistan, on May 25.

Being part of a military family has its challenges to include the constant moving and re-establishing of oneself every time you change duty stations. Just like the children's story the "Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christen Anderson, one duck on Okinawa has truly lived up to this story and found a home with the Kokeshi Roller Doll Derby League.

For those of us located in the Pacific Theater, Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month has particular significance as we witness examples of the 2013 theme, "Building Leadership: Embracing Cultural Values and Inclusion" which speaks volumes about their commitment to the United States and the U.S. Army.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (May 29, 2013) -- Words like green and sustainability are often used to refer to recycling, taking better care of the Earth, and new or alternative forms of energy, such as solar- or wind-power.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (May 29, 2013) -- When it comes to success, Patti Martin sees it as a team effort. Throughout her 30 years at the Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center, Martin has been involved with many engineering teams that have worked to develop, design and prototype aviation and missile systems that have been game changers on the battlefield.

Service members and civilians from Regional Command-South gathered May 28 to recognize Asian-Pacific American Heritage month. Asian-Pacific Americans have contributed to America's society and war time efforts since World War II putting their lives on the line for their family and their country.

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, Chief of Naval Operations Navy Adm. Jonathan Greenert and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus attend the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., May 27, 2013. The Parade featured military units and marching bands and honors veterans from American wars and features a tribute to Sept. 11 victims, a salute to the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM James A. Winnefeld, Jr., U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise attend the Memorial Day Concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., May 26, 2013.

CAMP CASEY, South Korea -- Members of the Area 1 community host an event to raise money for the Oklahoma Disaster Relief. One hundred percent of the one-day's proceeds from items purchased at the Camp Casey's Closet store will be donated to the relief fund. Casey's Closet provides gently used, economically priced goods for the local community members and is operated by an all-volunteer group and spouses club called the Kka Chi Community Association. The Kka Chi Community Association is a nonprofit organization established to provide the Area I communities opportunity for growth through social, learning, cultural and volunteering experiences. (U.S. Army photos by Staff Sgt. Carlos R. Davis, 210th Fires Brigade public affairs NCO/Released).

Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture meets with Provincial Government Line Directors from Mehtar Lam to discuss crop production, budgets and US Aid Programs. Also available in high definition

B-roll of Soldiers of the Fourth Brigade Combat Team First Cavalry Division packing their bags and filling the shipping containers as they prepare to redeploy back to Texas. Available in high definition.

When furloughs are implemented, most military commissaries will close one day a week on Mondays, said the director and chief executive officer of the Defense Commissary Agency. Between July 8 and Sept. 30, 2013, there will be eleven additional days commissaries are closed, days they are not normally closed.

Joint Task Force Carson's Families, friends and loved ones gathered May 23 at the Mountain Post Warrior Memorial to honor the memory of the servicemembers who lost their lives fighting in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.
The names of 10 Soldiers and two Airmen were added to the memorial at Kit Carson Park, to remember their sacrifice and honor their lives.

Gen Robert W. Cone, commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, congratulated the winners of the 2012 TRADOC Instructors of the Year during the 24th Annual TRADOC IOY Awards May 22 at the TRADOC Headquarters on Fort Eustis, Va.

When her platoon sergeant asked for volunteers who liked swimming or cycling and would be willing to attend a developmental clinic for the upcoming Warrior Games, Sgt. Alaina Barnes raised her hand and said she enjoyed both.

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-Fort Sam Houston -- Even while the 14th Military Intelligence Battalion has been preparing for its inactivation on June 14, it has also maintained a full schedule in helping to train other intelligence units over the last few months.

The 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company has a new commanding officer. Capt. Michael Riccitiello III replaced Capt. Langston J. Turner during a ceremony held inside the 12th Aviation Battalion Hangar at Davison Army Air Field, Fort Belvoir, May 23, 2013.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, began work on a $14.5 million jetty repair project at the entrance to the Brownsville Ship Channel with scheduled completion in 2014.

Camp Atterbury, Ind., - "And when the 'storming' is complete, the Army-Navy team that forms is inseparable. It is truly a great operation to witness, and we are fortunate to be part of it. We depend totally on the 4th Cavalry Brigade at Camp Atterbury to bring our Sailors' skills up to standard ground operations," said Navy Capt. Eric Jabs, commanding officer of Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center, Virginia Beach, Va.

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- What do you get when you combine 18 college students, 7 federal regulators, and a wetland? For students at Savannah State University, it was a chance to learn about the expertise needed to delineate and protect wetlands across the state of Georgia.

As directed by Congress with the passage of the Disaster Relief Appropriation Act of 2013, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers scientists and engineers launched a collaborative study, May 28, 2013, to determine how best to reduce flood and storm damage risks for people and communities along the North Atlantic coast.

The deputy commanding general of Army Materiel Command got a close look at the many things that Natick Soldier Systems Center does each day for the joint warfighter during a May 24 visit to the installation.

While the main body of the 201st Military Intelligence Battalion is serving overseas, Soldiers of its rear detachment at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston are making time for community outreach even while supporting their deployed brothers and sisters

Family, friends and Soldiers throughout the Army Special Operations Forces community gathered to pay tribute to their fallen sons, brothers and spouses during the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Fallen Soldiers Memorial Ceremony, May 23.

WIESBADEN, Germany - U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden's Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment became the first unit to be recognized in the garrison's new Green Boot program.
Col. David Carstens, USAG Wiesbaden commander, presented Capt. Jennifer Glover with the Green Boot Certificate May 16 for members of the unit's efforts in helping conserve energy and resources.

WIESBADEN, Germany - It's inadvisable for one to take a trip without charting the course beforehand. The same advice stands for military members preparing to make the trip from military to civilian life.
The Army Career and Alumni Program is the navigation device for service members getting ready for such a journey.

WIESBADEN, Germany - Spc. Alexander Eaton had his 12-year-old Audi 80 in mind as he attended the grand opening of the new Wiesbaden Automobile Skills Center.
"It's an older vehicle, and I'll be in here a lot," Eaton said. "I have to replace the antifreeze, and I have a half shaft that I have to fix. It's close to the base, and it definitely seems nicer."

Several months ago, Chief Darwin Armitage, Roy, Wash. chief of police, was disappointed that the town was unable to participate in "Make a Difference Day" because of weather and other contributing factors. He thought the town could take a day to honor those who had given so much and asked for so little.

WIESBADEN, Germany - Accreditation teams took a hard look at Aukamm Elementary and Wiesbaden Middle schools in late April and liked what they saw.
Members of the national school accreditation organization, AdvancEd, augmented by Department of Defense Dependents Schools-Europe administrators, spent several days at each of the schools examining all aspects of the learning environment ranging from parental and community involvement to staff collaboration, efforts at continuous improvement to resources and support.

If the United States is unlucky enough to have multiple, massive incidents simultaneously, Army North, as U.S. Northern Command's Joint Force Land Component Command, has the mission and the expertise to lead and coordinate with units from both active and reserve bases across the U.S. to provide the appropriate support to the lead federal agency at the appropriate time.

As part of their continuing partnership with Bowden Elementary School, Soldiers from the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade introduced 32 of its teachers and staff members to a weapon firing simulation on Fort Sam Houston May 9 as a team-building exercise.

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill.-- Jamie Hagemeyer of Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's Global Container Management Office was named one of the recipients of the 2012 Louis Dellamonica Award for Outstanding U.S. Army Materiel Command Personnel of the Year.

RESTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- The U.S. Army Materiel Command recently announced the 2012 Louis Dellamonica awards winners, recognizing the best employees in the command. Only one was chosen to represent the headquarters staff.

The building was surrounded by a high wall, a steel gate blocked the entrance; it looked like the other buildings in this Kabul neighborhood. But it was behind this gate with its armed guards, which drew the small convoy of armored vehicles and the group of U.S. Army Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen.

Joint Readiness Detachment-East, made up of U.S. and international soldiers, changed hands May 26 from the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment of the South Carolina National Guard to the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade of Fort Bragg, N.C., as a part of their assumption of the Kosovo Forces mission.

YOKOHAMA, Japan (May 28, 2013) -- With a silent salute, representatives from branches of the U.S. military, allied representatives from Canadian and British forces and the Boys Scouts of America honored service members who have died in service to their respective nations during a Memorial Day ceremony held May 26 at the Yokohama War Cemetery in Hodogaya.

It is never an easy job to start a business, and the ugly truth is that most new ventures do not survive past five years. To help veterans who are planning to start their own businesses, the Small Business Administration held its Boots to Business workshop May, 15.

Afghan forces took the lead in an operation that joined Afghan National Security Forces with U.S. Army advisers, to drive back insurgents harassing the inhabitants of Hesarak in western Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, May 15-18, 2013.

B-roll of service members of Forward Operating Base Gamberi gathering to listen to words of wisdom from COL William Benson and BG Ronald Lewis and pay respects to veterans everywhere in honor of Memorial Day. Available in high definition.

Thousands of motorcyclists gathered in the vast parking lots surrounding the Pentagon to rally in advance of the 2013 Rolling Thunder "Ride for Freedom" around the National Mall in Washington, D.C., over Memorial Day weekend.

A Memorial Day service at Regional Command South was held to honor service members who have paid the ultimate sacrifice serving our country. Produced by Sgt. 1st Class Chuck Robertson. Includes soundbites from Brig. Gen. Christopher P. Hughes, deputy commanding general, maneuver, 3rd Infantry Division, Regional Command South, Afghanistan.